A sign preparing drivers for construction, which will begin Monday on a left-turn lane along N.C. 58 South past Lenoir Community College’s campus, sits on the side of the road near LCC Saturday.

Casey Mozingo / The Free Press

By David Anderson / The Free Press

Published: Saturday, October 13, 2012 at 09:04 PM.

Motorists are urged to use caution starting Monday when traveling on N.C. 58 South around Lenoir Community College — workers will be creating a left-turn lane, which college and transportation officials hope will relieve congestion and improve safety around the campus.

“Although it’s going to be a very brief inconvenience it’s going to pay dividends to the college, and our students and employees, for decades to come,” LCC President Brantley Briley said.

Workers with Barnhill Contracting of Tarboro — on a contract worth $452,000 — are expected to start Monday, “weather permitting,” said Steve Abbott, a spokesman for the N.C. Department of Transportation.

He said the work is scheduled to last through Thursday, again, if the weather cooperates.

The turn lane will run a length of 2,992 feet from the LCC campus to about 500 feet south of Collier-Loftin Road.

Workers known as “flag men” will be on site to direct traffic, Abbott said.

“When you can put in a turn lane it makes (traffic) safer because you lessen the chance of rear-end collisions, and it all should improve traffic flow because the people turning won’t be holding up traffic behind them, they’ll be in their own lane,” Abbott explained.

Motorists are urged to use caution starting Monday when traveling on N.C. 58 South around Lenoir Community College — workers will be creating a left-turn lane, which college and transportation officials hope will relieve congestion and improve safety around the campus.

“Although it’s going to be a very brief inconvenience it’s going to pay dividends to the college, and our students and employees, for decades to come,” LCC President Brantley Briley said.

Workers with Barnhill Contracting of Tarboro — on a contract worth $452,000 — are expected to start Monday, “weather permitting,” said Steve Abbott, a spokesman for the N.C. Department of Transportation.

He said the work is scheduled to last through Thursday, again, if the weather cooperates.

The turn lane will run a length of 2,992 feet from the LCC campus to about 500 feet south of Collier-Loftin Road.

Workers known as “flag men” will be on site to direct traffic, Abbott said.

“When you can put in a turn lane it makes (traffic) safer because you lessen the chance of rear-end collisions, and it all should improve traffic flow because the people turning won’t be holding up traffic behind them, they’ll be in their own lane,” Abbott explained.

Briley said college officials had requested a study from DOT about a year and a half ago on traffic flow on N.C. 58.

Drivers can access LCC’s campus from U.S. 70 East, or N.C. 58 South. From N.C. 58, they can only get in one entrance, plus there is only one exit from the campus to N.C. 58.

The left-turn lane will allow drivers coming from the Trenton area to make a right-turn entrance to campus at one location, and drivers coming from Kinston to make a left-turn entrance at another, Briley said.

Drivers will be able to exit the campus from both locations.

“We think of (N.C.) 58 as the main entrance,” Briley said.

Bruce Parson, LCC’s business manager, said the N.C. 58 corridor is typically congested in the mornings, at lunch time and in the evenings, as traffic from the college mingles with that of the businesses across the highway.

“It will just make it safer, and the college is very concerned about students and faculty and we just want to make sure they’re safe — as safe as we can get it,” Parson said of the turn lane.